Alone By Choice
by jadedesgrange
Summary: Judy Hopps was always a punctuate individual when it came to achieving her goals. It was either black or white. But when restless nights leave her feeling empty she is driven to her homeplace to figure out why. Things begin to become a lot more fuzzy. Can Judy come out on top or will she lose everything she previously knew? Her life was set, or so she thought.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys, welcome to the new story! I'll save the chit chat so you can enjoy the read. I just want to let you know this will be kind of a lengthy story and I plan to update at least once a week. This not just a romantic plotline but also another case on the side. In a sequel, which I plan on creating afterwards, it will turn to an adventure plotline with romantics on the side. Thank you again for reading and leave a review! I hope to have this next chapter out asap!

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Chapter 1

 **Lonely**

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Zootopia: A city where animals could live in harmony together, where anybody could be anything they wanted, and where prejudist thoughts went to die. Judy Hopps was one of the many of the population who discovered the wonders of Zootopia. She was unlike the rest of her family, becoming the first bunny cop and breaking the tradition of becoming a carrot farmer. She took the city's motto and lived by it, becoming anybody who she wanted to be and promising to herself that she would never be anything less.

And that is exactly what she did. Nearly a year from uncovering the prey domination scheme led by Belleweather, ex-mayor, Judy remained at the top of her class, befriending all that she knew, and never went out of touch with her family. Everything seemed to be perfect with the occasional minor troubles. Ever since she made a life for herself at Zootopia, her career and social life was set. There was nothing left to conquer but her future.

Yet, something felt missing. Judy would live out her day as happy and energetic as she could be, but once it was time to hit the hay, a sensible loneliness would well up in her chest as she curled up to her pillow. Judy had never felt this way before and she knew it wasn't normal.

This feeling came about a few months after things began to settle from Judy's first case. She thought of every possible reason for what was happening.

Was she missing the idea of being so important? No, that wasn't it, Judy didn't do her job for the fame. Perhaps she was unsatisfied with the excitement of her job lately. On her first case, she had been spoiled by the mission to find Mr. Otterton and later a much larger case. Her tiny heart beat a million miles per second with each step further she came in the situation. It felt great being on the run: such a rush, the great chase for justice. That's what she was meant to do, who she was meant to be. And she was there.

So why in the name of Zootopia was she feeling so small?

Judy didn't know and there was no way in figuring out how. She was just forced to live out her days hoping the feeling would go away one day. It really helped on extended work days or nights out with Nick. Anything that kept her from laying in bed subjected to her thoughts.

In fact, on the anniversary of their first meeting Nick and Judy sat at a restaurant giggling over memories they had made in just the past year. Each sat on either side of a booth on a dead Tuesday night drinking the night away as the clock neared midnight.

For a usual weekday, it was odd to find the two cops out so late, but Judy had one of her rare day-offs. Due to her working overtime (more or less for her own sanity), the Chief found her actions notable and insisted she took the day off - no exceptions. Nick, on the other hand, was still forced to wake up at the break of dawn. But he stayed anyway since Judy persisted. Besides, what could a few less hours of sleep possibly do?

A lot, he knew, but Nick decided to wait and eat those words another time. For now, Judy was in front of him and his near future behind, but there would need to be an end to the night somewhere.

As their final conversation came to a close, a couple of comical tears slid down Judy's cheeks from a joke made by her partner and then both parties went silent. Nick took one last sip of coffee (decaf, of course) and stared at his bunny counterpart with a tired smile. "I think it's time to head home."

Judy's smile had now faded and her eyes refused to leave the table. The thought of going home alone made her shiver. She wasn't ready just yet. But Nick did have work the next day, it wasn't fair for her to waste his night like this. She did not reply but rather forced a smile and hopped out of her seat leading Nick outside. The two turned to each other as Judy practically jumped into his arms.

"All right, fine, you don't have to keep asking. I'll walk you home." Nick grinned, staring down at the giggling bunny. "C'mon, Carrots, I'm down to five hours of sleep."

It was a short walk and Judy was reluctant to watch Nick leave. As she gave him one last squeeze before setting a hand on the door, her gaze followed his lone figure - hands in pockets and tail swishing back and forth like he did whenever he had a song stuck in his head.

The way to her apartment room was treacherous and the dark hallways seemed even lengthier as it drained her of the day's light. Judy was tired of feeling this way. There had to be a change.

First thing the next morning, Judy was up and ready to catch the first train to Bunnyburrow. Even after a late night, she managed to wake herself up at six and prepare to hit the train before it got too busy. This was a last minute decision made amongst her mostly unintelligible thoughts of the night before. Out of desperation, it was the best move she could make. Besides, her parents almost always had a cure for her sicknesses. Maybe they would have a cure for this mental sickness as well.

On her agile walk, Judy covered ground quickly regardless of how early she was running. There was no point in wasting a day. In fact, she couldn't quite remember the last time she had visited her parents so why not make this meeting last a while? After all, she only had a day before the next break in who knows how long?

As she dabbled on her phone, a familiar bitter scent caught the nose of the disgruntled rabbit. Her stomach growled forcing Judy to stop in her tracks. The time on her phone read "6:52." She really _was_ running early. There was no reason why she couldn't grab a quick bite at the pastry shop.

The corners of her lips turned to the sky and at the twinkle of her nose Judy pranced out the doors with two coffees and the jumpstart of a new day. She was still making good time and decided to grab one for her partner who was most likely "inconspicuously" sleeping at his work desk.

Just like any other day, Judy strolled into the police station with a plastered grin, throwing Clawhauser a donut as always but skipping the confrontation; she didn't want to let this early thing get to her head. The terminal was always packed before 8:30. As Judy found herself in her partner's cubicle, she was quiet at first, discovering Nick to be in the usual working position of comatose. The back of his black rolley chair faced her and his matted head held up by his left hand blocked the computer monitor. Judy rolled her eyes but then glued them to the scrolling finger of his right hand on the mouse. Was it possible Nick Wilde was actually awake before seven on a weekday after staying up so late the night before?

With eyebrows raised high, Judy positioned her head over the fox's shoulder to see what he had been viewing and immediately burst into a fit of laughter. Nick's body jerked from his seat and the keyboard went flying along with his good morning's rest. He turned to Judy with bloodshot eyes and drool soaking the side of his mouth (also unadmittedly in the palm of his hand which he tucked under his leg). "J-Judy, what are you doing here? It's your day off."

Judy refrained from giggling at his cowlick that had formed where his hand had supported his sleepy state. She noted not to talk him into going out with her on a work night ever again; never had she seen him so unprepared for duty.

"Well, I was on my way to my parent's today and I decided to stop by the cafe and grab us a couple of coffees. Looks like you need one." Judy inhaled the sweet scent before placing it on his desk feeling the eyes of her partner follow her.

"Why are you doing this?" Nick glared at her with shame. "You're not supposed to be here. Go enjoy your day off."

"I'm not here for work, Nick," Judy frowned. "Y'know, even I need my space from this place. I just thought that I would say good morning before I left off to Bunnyburrow."

Nick realized his grumpy attitude and patched up his words with an easy smile. "Thanks, Carrots. 'Precciate it."

Before she knew it, Judy was peering through the glass of the train, still wowed by the sight of her home. The trip was relatively short on the way to Bunnyburrow considering it was an island just off the coast from Zootopia. Nose-point with the window, she watched in awe as city buildings and paved roads turned to the roaring waves of the canal that separated them, then the nostalgia-inducing sign of Bunnyburrow signaled for the entrance of a more rural area. Farming plots of blueberries and carrots and anything else scrumptious to the rabbit-kind was inevitably spotted making Judy's heart do a flip flop. She couldn't believe how much she actually missed this place. It hadn't changed even the slightest.

At the stop, Judy inhaled and smiled. Cranberry pie lightened the air and sunshine began to rise from behind fields of blueberry bushes. The whole place was already up and running: most bunnies gladly hopped out of bed around this time in the morning.

One foot out of the train station and Judy had to take in her surroundings. With a proud beam, she made her way to the home in which she enacted her dreams since a little kit. As she stood in front of the familiar door, a fist lightly knocked the heavy wood and the excitement could hardly be contained by the enthusiastic rabbit: "Mom, Dad, it's me! Judy!"

There was hardly a breath to take when the door opened to reveal Bonnie and Stu Hopps who were immediately engulfed by their eldest daughter. "Judy!" the two cried in unison. "It's been forever. How are you, sweetie?" continued her mother.

Judy let out a chuckle of relief. "Oh gosh, I've missed you guys. Uh," she finally released her parents from her hold, "I've been doing great. I have a day off today and I realized I haven't seen you guys in months." From inside the house, Judy could practically feel the aroma of carrot cake and cinnamon which resided there whether or not Momma Bonnie was cooking or not. "H-How are you guys?"

Her mother was already on her way inside and her father placed an arm around the shoulders leading her inside himself. Apparently the family had been working on breakfast as they wandered towards the dining room which contained a _very_ long dining table filled to the brim with her brothers and sisters. Judy's heart rate skyrocketed as they turned towards her with laughter and squeals of excitement, rushing to greet their older sister.

The family reunion lasted another hour whilst gobbling down on a load strawberry covered waffles, one of Judy's favorites. She sat down at the end with her parents and discussed work, friends, and anything interesting that had occurred in the past few months (she cared enough to leave out the dangerous parts), every once in a while being interrupted by a sibling wanting to share an art project or asking advice on career advancement.

Judy felt young again being under this roof, except now everybody looked up to her.

As the hour flew by, most of the family had scurried off to school or outside to play leaving just Judy and her parents sitting in the silence of faded laughter. "Well Jude, it sounds like you've got your life made. We're so proud of you."

A nervous gulp echoed in Judy's throat. Her father's words hit a soft spot in her chest reminding her of the real reason she took the trip over here. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you guys about something…"

A movement in their stature changed and Judy saw the new perk in their ears. "What is it, dear?"

Knowing she could tread without judgement being set upon her, Judy poured out about the emptiness she had been feeling at nights when she was alone. Even getting to the point of restlessness if the day had been slow. Never had she cried over the situation but Judy found herself tearing up the slightest as she explained everything. The impact these nights had on her were finally tumbling after being built up in over months of preparation.

She wiped away the tears that threatened to spill. Her mother and father looked upon her with sympathy and grasped her in their arms once more. As they sat upright again, the two glanced at each other, water glistening in their eyes and then they grinned.

"Oh Judy," Bonnie started, "it's normal to feel this way. In fact, I was a little worried it wouldn't happen to you at all. As many grandbabies as we'll have it's almost impossible to believe so, but, the more the merrier, right?" Her mother started with a light giggle that turned with elation.

This confused Judy. "W-What are you talking about?"

Bonnie turned to look at her husband one last time before back to Judy and blindly entwining her paw with his. "Darling, let me give you one last lesson: there is somebody out there for everybody. A soul mate, perhaps, to help us with the planting when your arms are too tired - or to sit there in those struggling days when the rain drowns out the carrots and comfort you."

The incredulous bunny cop felt like a child again. Was her mother implying that she needed a boyfriend? That was ridiculous. She didn't need another bunny to make her feel whole. She was strong and had made it this far on her own. But the problem still stood: Judy was feeling lonely and she had no other resolution to the problem.

"So you want me to…?"

"Judy! You are in a whole village of bunnies. Go out and explore. I'm sure you will enjoy yourself and find many familiar faces. You're bound to find him here. Fate has a funny way of bringing us together. This feeling brought you here. Now go find somebody who fills that hole."

"How did fate bring you and Dad together?" she asked curiously.

"That's a good one," Stu intervened. "It was a warm spring afternoon and I was out looking for blueberries at the local market. I had always hated blueberries, but I woke up one morning craving them like there was no tomorrow. So I up and left to get some blueberries. I'll tell ya, I passed five different shops before I reached one where I spotted the perfect basket. Little did I know, the beauty of BunnyBurrow had her eyes on that exact same basket. Her hand landed right on top of mine and now the rest is history."

Judy's heart leaped. Was it that easy? Just the touch of one's hand and love would occur? That sounded odd but what else did she have to lose?

"In fact," Bonnie chimed in, "I need some carrots for some carrot cake I'm making specially tonight for a special guest. And some extra vanilla juice just how she likes it." Judy's mouth watered at the thought.

"I'm already out the door! I'll see you guys tonight." And with the exchange of a shopping list for her dessert, her legs stumbled out the door as fast as she could go. Judy didn't know what to expect when she left the house but she felt greater than she had in the past six months.

As she made her way through the day, she had met new and old faces throughout the town. This including the infamous Gideon Grey. Their conversation was brief but more meaningful than she expected it could.

"Afternoon, Gideon, how have you been doing?" Gideon offered a predictable answer "Great," but as he handled bottles of honey at the shop, his hands shook and he maintained a slight quiver of tone almost like aggravation. Judy turned to him, "Is that the truth?"

A heavy sigh of reluctance and a simple shake of the head made Judy focus her concentration on him completely. "No, actually, I'm having some home trouble. I've got four little ones right now, all as beautiful as their mother." Judy was shocked by how soon he had started a family. Her parents' story seemed to prove true. "But the eldest...oh my, she's growing up too quickly, Judy. Falls in love with everything she sees. And, well, I understand we live on an island with more you bunnies than anybody else but you'd think she knew right from wrong. She's had her mind on a particular bunny and they've been getting along well lately. Too well. My wife thinks it's just a phase, but I'm just worried about her."

The tip of Judy's nose twitched. She wasn't sure how to respond. The thought of interspecies relationship had never crossed her mind as a problem. "Well, I don't think you should overwhelm yourself too much. After all, she's still young. She will find her way. But Gideon - " she rested her palm on his, "whatever she chooses in her life always be there to support her." She tried at a smile and he returned it.

"Thanks, cottontail. You bunnies always know what to say. Say, have you got a special person in your life?"

Judy nibbled on her bottom lip. "No, not quite. So far I'm quite content with my family and friends."

Gideon nodded, "That's all right. Love will find you when you least expect it. You'll see. Take care, Judy. Let your parents know I'll be there first thing tomorrow morning."

Judy continued to jump from shop to shop, rediscovering people she hadn't seen since primary school. She covered so much of the past in just a few sentences that it started to become second nature. It got to the point where Judy listened in for the signaling phrases that set off automatic responses. While pilot mode played on, her thoughts wandered elsewhere.

What was Nick doing right now? He was on his lunch break. Was he still taking the trip to the usual bakery they stopped at every day? Judy was tempted to call and see how he was, but she strayed away from the idea. _He sees you every day, give_ him _the day off for once_ , she giggled to herself. As she reached the last shop of the day though, another voice inside compelled her into just a 5-minute phone call. They usually had their days off planned together. There was no harm in checking up.

With a phone in one hand searching for Nick's contact, Judy reached for any old basket of carrots. And as her hand lowered deeper into the sea of vegetables, her palm landed on something rather fluffy and warm. Her instinct was to recoil and apologize, but Judy remained still and stared down the hand that had crossed her path.

"Hello?" Nick echoed through the phone, charm voiced smoothly like always. His Carrots didn't hear him this time, however, because that fluffy and warm thing was the beginning of a revolution for Judy. This was the day Judy Hopps, with never before a doubt in her mind, finally had no way of compiling these new feelings all at once.

"I'm going to have to call you back."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 **Something Old, Something New**

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"What? Is everything all right, Judy?"

 _Click._

The unsuspecting bunny froze, fur still gobbed up in her right hand while leering at the fruit in front of her. A male bunny from behind her softly cleared his throat, snapping a reaction into Judy. With her kindest smile, she swept her paw against her chest and apologized profusely. Her gaze began at the bunny's feet, trying to hide the inevitable tomato flush embarrassment cursed upon her, then haltingly moved this gaze to face her victim.

His feet were quite long and he wore dark blue jeans which tucked in a blue and pink plaid shirt that rolled up just above his elbows showing off his large muscles. Judy's nose wiggled in awe as she looked upon his broad chest finally landing on a pair of amber eyes speckled with yellow in front a beige background. A lighter blush unveiled itself under the tomatoey paste of her flustered state. This rabbit was attractive and she had just made contact with him _by accident_.

"Oh, there's no need to apologize, ma'am, it -. Judy? Is that you?" The stranger stared down with disbelief and then an amorous simper spread like butter on toast. "My, it's been forever it seems.

Judy averted his too friendly of an expression, attempting to pry into the depths of her memory to remember this bunny. With each glance she dug in further to match his chiseled jaw with somebody she once knew, or his perfectly straight teeth, or even that scar on his arm that stretched whenever he crossed his arms like he was doing now. No matter how detailed it got, she failed to remember this stranger. "I-I'm sorry, I don't recall you," she mumbled shamefully.

The chocolate hunk chuckled with a strong, dark diaphragm. "It's no problem. Here, let me refresh your memory." From out of his back pocket, he slipped out a tiny pair of rounded spectacles and placed them on his nose.

It was almost in an instant that Judy recognized her very old friend, Eric Flottoms, from her primary school days. He had been very skinny and short in those years, and it didn't help that he had had such an enlarged nose and awkwardly interminable ears so long and without the strength to lift them. She had been one of very few that cared to involve him in any activities; the other kids were scared away by his odd attributes. The difference in him now was profound.

Judy gasped, "Eric, oh my goodness. How are you?"

Eric grinned ear to ear, gathering the mystified bunny in his arms for a warm hug. "I'm doing wonderful, actually. Just started up my own jam and jelly business."

"Aw, really? I'm so happy for you. You've been dreaming of that since a kid." As the broad bunny set Judy back down on the ground, she paid attention to the white freckle right under his eyebrow that was always stressed when under his Furry Potter-looking glasses. At least there was one thing that would never change.

"Yes, I have," he nodded his head in agreement. "It took me some time but I'm finally there. What about you? Did you ever make it as that big city cop? I can still hear you reciting that handbook during recess."

Judy giggled, "Yes, actually. It's been nearly a year since I graduated and gotten a job at the ZPD. It's probably been the most exciting year of my life. I couldn't be happier."

"And I couldn't be happier for you."

The two old friends had hit a bump in the road and silence sat between them comfortably. "Well, I've got to be going. Big family dinner tonight, you know. Today's one of my rare days off. Actually - " Judy stuttered, reminded of the whole situation that had led them to here. "Would you like to join us? I know my mother would love to see you after so long and it would be nice to catch up."

Eric did not respond immediately but rather seemed to ponder the idea. "Well, I did have some paperwork to fill out for the new building unit but that can wait. I'd love to, Judy."

With relief, Judy brightened and continued to gather two baskets of carrots and a bottle of vanilla. The imaginary aroma of carrot cake reminded her of the few times she would kindly invite Eric over to share a slice of the delectable midday snack her mother made at least once a week. It was whenever he had been picked on for his size or odd features, and although she couldn't relate, Judy had desired justice since day one. Even if that meant taking in the weak.

Now they were walking back to the same place they always seemed to meet at and have a slice of homemade nostalgia. Only this time more mature and with stable jobs. Judy couldn't wait to hear about how much had changed since they last made contact and she was sure her parents would be joyful in recognizing an old friend.

Little did either know they shared the same empty feeling that lay on the inside.

At the welcome doormat, they sighed in unison. "Be warned," Judy acknowledged, "they're just as crazy you probably remember."

Eric answered with a hearty chuckle as she made her way into the kitchen. "Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet somebody!" As her parents appeared in front of them, they wiggled their noses in curiosity, checking the stranger that their daughter had brought along up and down.

Stu Hopps raised an eyebrow, obviously stirring up no good reasons as to why this attractive rabbit was standing in his kitchen with a starstruck gaze towards his daughter. He was her father after all, it was his job to look out for her. Her mother Bonnie, on the other paw, held a dumb smile as she stared at the handsome bunny, not able to decide where to keep her eyes.

"Guys, this is Eric, don't you remember? Short stop, as you always called him, right, Dad?" Judy nodded, trying to throw a lead for them to grasp.

Bonnie gasped, "Eric, it can't be! You grew so big! Stu, it's the small boy back when Judy was younger - he'd always help her with her schoolwork." Judy blushed, remembering the excuse they had made up so Eric had never felt embarrassed from the idea of being bullied.

After Stu finally caught on, the bunch huddled by the fridge and pantry to gather all the supplies for dinner and started cooking. Bonnie and Stu had done most of it together, but as the two newfound friends recounted all of their milestones (with comical stories sprinkled in between) they chipped in to cut an onion here or slice a cucumber there.

Judy had learned that Eric, after primary school, went on to work at his father's strawberry farm. He had always been more of a brain than a brawn but seeing as his whole family was poor, he had no other choice but to slave in the fields. Later, he collected up this money and bought out a section of his father's strawberry patches to make jam and sell it in the markets. After continuing to buy out sections of land, Eric diversified his product with different fruits and even created his own flavors. Now he was on his way to fame through a new store opening smack-dab in the middle of Zootopia.

The sound of success was music to Judy's ears. She could listen to him talk about it his enthusiasm for his career all day. It wasn't until they were sat down and eating that her mother asked a peculiar question.

"So, Eric, have you any girlfriend?"

The face of confidence diminished from the once-eager bunny, and Judy grumbled on the side. "I, uh, I'm afraid not. I've just been so busy with work and getting my life together."

"Hmm," her mother hummed. "Golly, that sounds very familiar."

"Sometimes I think I should have taken the advice of my parents and searched for a partner first," he laughed. "I'm not fond of the dating world; it seems I only attract nuts. But I can wait. Even if it means going through a hundred more of them until I find the perfect one."

Bonnie leaned in closer to the handsome rabbit, obviously forgetting that her husband sat right next to her. "And what is your perfect bunny, Eric?"

By that point Judy was at a dead glare with her mother, smitten by her words. "Mother, can I talk with you for a second?" It was more of a demand than a question as she grabbed the head-over-heels doe and pulled her into the hallway. "What are you doing?" Judy whispered fiercely.

Bonnie stood with the weight of her right leg, hands folded together, and a smug grin that practically read the memories her daughter had experienced just hours ago. "Judy, you don't just bring home this very handsome bunny and not expect me do something about it. You've been single for too long - you need somebody to fill - that - hole," she tapped her chest with each of those final words. "Besides, you have history with him and he's a sweet guy. Don't be afraid to give it a shot."

Judy wiggled her nose in disbelief. Eric was a good looking rabbit, but never had she thought of him, then and now, as a romantic interest. He was just...Eric. Maybe it was just her nerves talking or maybe it was her mother, she didn't know. After all, listening to her parent's stories she found that love wasn't always easy, even before that word came about. What was the harm in attempting at her first real relationship?

"How do I know he even - " she began but was soon quieted by the entrance of her mother's soothing reassurance.

"Trust me, Dear. He's been staring at you all night."

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As she boarded the train to head home, Judy studied her awakening phone. It had been a few hours since she had last checked it and was curious to see what she had missed. A couple updates popped up (which she swiped away from view) and a notification of the new Gazelle album peaked her interest. But as she reached to tap the screen, her phone suddenly turned berserk, a million vibrations going off at once. Nick Wilde had messaged her five different times and called her three. Then suddenly the memory of nervous clamor made Judy hit her head against the train wall. She had hung up on him earlier and never bothered to call back or explain her situation. He was probably worried. And angry.

With teeth nibbling at her lip, Judy held the phone to her ear reluctantly, a flinch with each time the phone rang. It took nearly forty seconds (she had counted) until Nick finally picked up.

"Hey Carrots, whatcha need?"

"Oh, Nick, I'm so sorry for earlier. I was caught in a sticky situation and thinks were escalating so quickly. I didn't mean to-. I totally slipped my mi-."

"Don't worry about it." Judy could almost hear his half-lidded response and couldn't help but smile. "You're busy, I get it."

She sat up in her seat, putting the phone on speaker phone momentarily so that she could view his texts. The first two asked if she was in any trouble and to message back or he would otherwise assume her death. The proceeding three were casual, the last one begging for her to save him from his office cubicle. She couldn't not grin at all of them: "You should be busy too, Mr. 'I'm so bored I might actually go talk to Clawhauser for entertainment.' Maybe if you would actually do your work..."

"Finally reading those, eh? Usually I have a certain bunny to keep me in check." A humble chuckle crooned from the opposite side. "Anyway," he matched it with a yawn, "how was your little vay-cay?"

A blush signaled for the entrance of a quieter tone. "Well, it was great and all..."

"But?"

Judy giggled. "Not buts this time. Just an and. I sort of ran into an old friend today. And...I think he likes me."

Coughing swarmed the line, making her cringe and hold the phone away. "Judy, that's great!" Nick chimed. "Sorry bout that, I - uh...choked on...water, yes, water is what I choked on. Um, how exactly did this happen again?"

With elation fluttering in her heart, Judy gave her best friend a brief and calm explanation of the happenings in BunnyBurrow. "And after we helped clean up the kitchen, he offered to give me a ride to the train station. So I said yes and when we got there he told me he wanted to see me more often and that he'd be in Savanna Central for a whole month working on the establishment of his new business."

"I'm happy for you."

An odd twitch nagged at Judy's ear. "Are you all right? You don't sound-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, don't worry about me. Actually," his voice knocked down to a whisper, "I'm out right now. With a certain fox. She's, oh, she's great, Judy, I can't wait for you to meet her. But I'm going to have to let you go soon."

The young bunny rolled her eyes at her sly friend, slightly impressed and surprised by his sudden date. "You go get her, tiger. Have fun tonight but don't stay up too late!"

"G'night, Carrots."

And with the final click of the day, Judy rested her head against the soothing vibration of the train walls watching the sun burn across the canal horizon. It was a great day for Judy Hopps, and it was going to be a great night of peace. But the day seemed almost too perfect to be true. Was it so simple to just meet an old, suddenly attractive friend who was in the same position she was? The idea felt like a setup; it wasn't impossible to believe considering her mother was as canny as the fox stereotype. Could all of this be what she had been blindly searching for or was she letting the array of possibility create this doubt?

Judy didn't know. But what she did know was that the restlessness was no where currently tangible inside, and that homey feeling she got when around Eric poured right into that pothole. Maybe it wasn't a coincidence. Maybe it didn't have to be a setup. To Judy, it could just be life giving her a first shot.

* * *

Well, there's Chapter 2! It's been a full week, and for that I apologize. I just kept writing and writing and it never pleased me with each revision, so I today I up and changed a lot to get the tone that I wanted. Thank you for your patience and I hope to see your views and reviews in the next chapter! Spring break has officially begun, so I expect to have a few chapters out in the course of this week. Have a wonderful day!

Oh, and for some reason I imagined the voice of Jared Padalecki for Eric. Don't question where it came from but it stuck. I guess Supernatural is on my mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Hey guys, so I saw Zootopia last Wednesday, and I have to say I realized some things that I had forgotten when planning this story. There are some musts I feel obligated to preserve and will do so. Truth be told, I hope to see this wonderful movie at least 5 more times, haha!

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Chapter 3

 **Change**

* * *

From the overkill rantings led by Chief Bogo to the minuscule, not-so-hilarious tales told by Clawhauser, Nick Wilde was about ninety-eight percent done with his day. Since he had overslept half an hour that morning he knew from the start that the next 24 hours would be utter hell. It didn't help that he had forgotten to prep his uniform the night before and completely overlooked his name tag. With Judy's day off and his missing attire, the only option Bogo had for him was useless paperwork.

So Nick, for the first two hours (disregarding Judy's pleasant interruption), rested in a working position that had taken him six months to perfect: an elbow angled exactly forty-five degrees carried his head with superb balance while programming the other hand to scroll or even type simple words depending on the task. In some cases, with an extra three months of practice, he could sleep in short intervals with his eyes open. And around this time also, Nick was already mastering sleep talking, keeping future goals like sleepwalking in mind. Heck, if he could perform everyday actions in his sleep, Nick would need nothing else to show for his life's work.

He felt pretty accomplished with everything in his life, he could suffice the little more. Yeah, sure, he had gone down a bad road for some few years, but he was in the right place now with possibly the greatest people he had ever met. Only, the work was a bit of a downer at times like these, and his apartment had been downgraded to the size of a kitchen as his original profit stumbled by hundreds of dollars. And, actually, the people he only really liked when he was having a decent day.

 _Wait, why am I cop?_

Nick shook his head as he stared blankly into the monitor, dumping the question like it should have been obvious. But as it clung to the back of his mind, the thought forced him to elaborate on who's smart idea wound him up poor and twice as fatigued.

Unsurprisingly, the infamous rabbit who had a knack for causing _him_ trouble came to picture. Oh, how he would do anything for that clever girl, even giving up the only life he ever knew to...to what? The fox found himself at a deadlock. Was it to justify the actions of animals like him that did others wrong? Nick almost choked; nowhere could he find the heart to care how other animals treated their coexistors. Maybe he wanted to be the better person he had once dreamed to be? After all, the con life always left him feeling pretty empty on those late nights. Always with a tough exterior but never had his core been pierced with the same solidity.

Nick Wilde was the same fox he had been since day one, it was just his priorities that shifted with change. The only difference between the days of his past and now was the inability to distinguish these priorities. This led Nick to know one thing for sure: There were so many things he could complain about, so many rants he could barter himself with, practically having lost anything he had ever found through money. But not once did he object to his decision, and with that loss grew something he never thought would return again: the missing hole in his chest.

Judy. He was a ZPD police officer because of his partner in crime, Judy Hopps. He could not have been more pleased to have any other reason in becoming something bigger than what he once was. She was this reason.

And that's how Nick Wilde ended up sending a total of five completely friendly and calm text messages. Or so he meant.

That afternoon as he had pulled into the station with a sandwich for lunch, a buzz resonated from the cupholders that held his phone. He remained seated, leaning against the window and answering his caller cooly. "Hello?" It was a solid thirty seconds of silence before Nick intervened, "This is gold. Did you actually _butt dial me_ , Carrots?" The fox snickered evilly, thinking of all the ways he could embarrass her with this glorious opportunity.

That is, until her raspy voice deceived such plans, "I'm going to have to call you back."

No sooner did he hear a man's chortle from the other side of the line and an interrupting dial nearly immediately after he could spew the words "What? Is everything all right, Judy?" In just seconds, she was gone.

Nick was unsure whether to be worried or indifferent. Somehow, in his desperate attempts to contact her he settled with somewhere in between.

Just minutes after the call had ended, he whipped up a quick text: "Carrots, if you don't reply within the next hour I will otherwise assume your death." The restive fox read his message a couple times over before convincing himself it was just too serious. "The folks around here say that can be very detrimental to your health. Call me back."

As minutes turned to hours, Nick stared down the clock that rested just above his cubicle walls. The paperwork needed to be filed once again after transferring the information into the computer, but he thought better to waste time and pretend like that obligation was not part of his job. Judy would have been ashamed. Aw, but what did Judy care? She never liked paperwork much either.

Nor talking to him it seemed like.

When the clock hit six, Nick was already packed up and ready to go. Usually he would be stuck for much longer, mostly when his eager partner stayed in overtime and insisted that he help, and especially when they were trying to crack a case together. But today, there was nothing Nick Wilde would accomplish or even care to remember when tomorrow swung around. He was free to go for the rest of the night.

Yet again, the universe seemed to have different plans. Right as the not-so-sly fox slipped past the front desk, Clawhauser appeared from out of nowhere and called for Nick at the top of his lungs. The lumpy jaguar lunged on top of the counter, chocolate icing smeared across his cheek and arm dramatically grasping for the officer. "Wait! Bogo has a super secret mission for you!" his roar became contained within a whisper.

Nick stopped in his tracks, hanging his head with ears laid back and wondering how super of a mission this could actually be if it intervened with him and his bed. Turning on his heels, he grasped the folder from sticky paws and ripped it open forcing all the papers from inside to fly. He hadn't expected such a fragile folder to hold this much.

"What...what is all of this?" Nick glazed over all the photos and files shown below him, befuddled by what he saw. He hadn't seen this much put into a folder in ages. "It's...so much."

"What do you think you're doing?" Clawhauser rushed around his desk, falling to his knees and shoving everything back into the plain, nude folder. "It's a super secret mission, didn't you hear me? Okay, so what if it isn't? At least Judy has a sense of humor."

Nick rolled his eyes, snatching the folder from him. "Sorry, bud, it was an accident. I'll be sure to look at it."

As he pushed his way through the glass doors, Nick sighed and took another peek at the files. From what he had seen, there had been signs of some serious vandalism through graffiti and home destruction. Opening up the folders only shed another rainbow through the clouds, showing colors of demolished living rooms, wrecked backyards, and so much more. It all pretty much came down to the same crime which he connected quickly but not much else could be compared.

This was too much to evaluate on a short drive home. He had planned on returning to his apartment and taking the longest night's sleep of his life, but this file interested him. Besides, this was the first case he had been assigned without Judy by his side. He could finally prove his intelligence by discovering some kind of lead before she even had the chance to hear about it.

With the file tucked tightly underneath his arm, Nick Wilde, ZPD police officer, strutted through the front doors of Beeswax's Diner, requesting a booth for one near the back of the restaurant. It was an old habit from his conning days when he attempted to keep familiar eyes from stumbling onto him by accident, but it could apply in this situation. After all, this was strictly limited to his and his counterpart's eyes.

"Evening, can I get you anything to drink?"

Nick hadn't bothered to turn to the waitress, but rather muttered "Polar Cola, thanks" and pulled out four different photos. All were houses shaped to the different ecosystems of Zootopia with a giant symbol graffitied onto the roofs. All were the same: red and purple engravings of a panther-like animal head painted from the side to show off fangs the length of an ancestral saber tooth. The pictures sent chills down his back.

Whoever was doing this had it for all of Zootopia. Under each victim's house, tables would be flipped, tv's smashed, toilets clogged, and just complete destruction to these homes. Some even to the point of uninhabitability. He viewed the files of some of the mammals that had been victimized and they varied from the smallest of prey to the largest of predators. It was obvious this wasn't going to be like their last big case.

"One Polar Cola for the handsome fox," the waitress sang. "And are you ready to order?"

"Not quite," Nick grumbled, stuffing the photos back into the folder and leaning back in his seat. This was the first engaging enigmatic case he had received in quite a while, and there weren't words that could describe how ready he was to leap back into the chase.

In the past year, Nick had been involved in a few situations that exercised everything he had learned in the academy. They were never all too big and always ended up being a misguided child or lost crook. Maybe he should have been happy that Zootopia was a safer place but something just felt off without that adrenaline.

How did Judy do it? Even when she was stuck inside all day, she managed to put so much energy into whatever she did, never expecting anything from it. He wanted to be able to do that, but Nick had spoiled himself. He would never stop wishing for more and yet she was settled with the life she had. Judy Hopps was truly an amazing character.

For hours it seemed Nick lazed in that booth, analyzing all that he had while munching on some chili and cheese covered nachos, later a chocolate lava cake. He had a lot of information to take in, but he knew the next step was to talk to these victims. Perhaps the neighbors as well, find out if they had seen anything. Further evidence needed to be investigated for. Whoever it was making these symbols obviously wanted others to know of their existence, and that would make them extra careful.

"Can I get you another refill, mister?" a giggle pricked at Nick's ears as he nodded his head begrudgingly. He could hear the ice collide with his cup as she poured the cola into his glass, and when it stopped a slight squeak of rubber sounded in front of him.

"You've been here for a while. Can I ask what you're looking at so hard?"

Nick glanced up at his waitress for the first time that night. To his surprise, it was a she-fox staring at him with a piercing electric shock. She wore a bumble yellow sundress patterned with octagons and orange sleeves that stopped at her elbows, accentuating her tundric complexion. At the ends of each unusually long arm were black gloves that resembled the tips of her ears which faded into the mixture of white and pink. With a flutter of her long lashes, her eyes darted up and down the police officer that had been sitting at her table.

"Just here for dinner, that's all," Nick huffed, returning to the folder. "Work follows me wherever I go, I guess."

"Ooh," the waitress hummed running a hand over the top of her head, laying her ears back with a light blush surfacing. "So...do you have any idea who did it?"

Irritation flickered at Nick's ear as he set the files aside and stared at the waitress. " _No_ ," he gritted his teeth. "Is there anything you need help with?"

"U-Uh, no, I'm sorry. I was just...I didn't mean to intrude. You just seemed like you needed somebody to talk to." The fox hopped to her feet, dusting off her dress and grabbing the pitcher she had brought over to fill his drink.

Nick immediately felt a pang of guilt. He was being so irritable from the lack of sleep, spending so much time on making a lead for this case he had let the time slip by, much unlike his day stuck in that cramped cubicle. "Wait - _I'm_ sorry. I've been running off zero sleep practically. Er...I wouldn't mind a friend right now."

The arctic fox pursed her lips, cracking a hidden smile out the side of her mouth. Nick sat there for another hour, chatting it up with his new acquaintance and shoving the folder under his thigh. Somewhere along the way, she had ended up on his side of the booth, scrolling through pictures of her photography which she hoped to publish one day. They talked a lot but Nick didn't hear much. In fact, she did most of the talking and his throat was getting dry just from listening to it all.

Eventually, the she-fox ran short of words and Nick failed to fuel her. It was almost in an instant that a spark shimmered suspiciously in her eye. "So...Officer, I spy a uniform, a badge, and a radio, but where's your name tag?" A devious grin leaned in closer as a paw fingered the shiny plate of his badge on his chest. An overwhelming smell of lilac and honeycomb choked him as he pushed away from her seductive movements.

Nick Wilde was unsure of how to react to her suddenly flirtatious nature. Usually he wouldn't have a problem with returning the smooth Wilde Charm he could win any girl over with, but in this circumstance he hesitated. He looked this fox up and down and agreed all around she was very...alluring, however as he tried to come up with something intelligent to say his tongue tied every time.

"Stacy, get over here and clean up your tables. It's nearly closing time!" A grouchy voice, gender unidentifiable, and exceptionally intimidating called for his waitress.

She groaned, "It was nice talking with you, Foxy." And at the wink of an eye, her satiny tail caressed the underside of his chin and she was gone.

Nick sat there for a good few minutes before leaving a reasonable tip and walking out without another word. He didn't know what had him caught back there but he did know that it wasn't because of the breathtaking view. He was certainly a good looking individual beyond compare and this confrontation was merely flattery. That she-wolf was a hardly a six rivaling what he had once caught in his net before.

A buzzing snapped the jittery fox back into reality and he swiped his phone to answer this long-awaited call. "Hey Carrots, whatcha need?" Nick found a seat on a bench just outside the restaurant and took a deep, relieving breath.

 _His Carrots_.

Judy spoke at the speed of light, babbling a million excuses and stuttering throughout her whole alibi.

The tranquilized fox shook his head without a care in the world. "Don't worry about it. You're busy I get it." _I just can't wait to see you tomorrow_. Nick slipped into his default mode as if she were sitting right next to him, conversing with her as easily as eating a whole pizza pie (which was quite easy for a high metabolic fox).

"And...I think he likes me." The smile that had made itself comfortable on Nick's lips flew like somebody had slapped him, and he found himself in a fit of coughing.

"Judy, that's great! Sorry bout that, I - uh" he looked around in desperation remembering he had just came from Beeswax's: "...choked on...water, yes, water is what I choked on. Um, how exactly did this happen again?"

"... _he offered to give me a ride_..."

"... _I said yes_..."

"... _he'd be in Savannah Central for a whole month_ …!"

And for the second time that night, Nick found himself listening but not hearing a single word Judy said. "I'm so happy for you," he mumbled as she finally came to a close.

"Are you all right? You don't sound- "

With hardly any time to think, he jumped straight into boiling water, stretching his neck back to find the arctic hottie bussing her final table. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, don't worry about me. Actually," he knocked his voice down to a whisper to make it sound like he was still inside, "I'm out right now. With a certain fox. She's, oh, she's great, Judy, I can't wait for you to meet her. But I'm going to have to let you go soon."

The young bunny was convinced and he could almost hear her smile. "You go get her, tiger. Have fun tonight but don't stay up too late!"

The fiery fox scratched the back of his neck, his ears folding back shamefully. "G'night, Carrots."

Nick sighed, hitting his head against the back of the bench, staring off into the setting sun. Why did he lie to her about having a date? And adding that part about meeting her? He had lost his touch since he had given up his previous life. Lying to and charming a girl never seemed so difficult until put to the test again. How was he going to explain this?

As he shoved his body forward, a figure pushed herself through the doors of the lonely diner. It was his waitress and she had longest face a fox could wear. Maybe he couldn't patch up the lie, but he could turn it into something real. After all, she wasn't bad looking and her personality was tolerable. That was just what he was searching for in a girl.

And so, with his most impressive strut, Wilde let the sunglasses fall to his nose and his charm plaster a smirk, finally feeling the words simply roll off his tongue. "I've been waiting for you all night."


End file.
